blake



March 3, 1964 w. 'r. BLAKE SLIDING CENTER SILL RAILWAY CAR EQUIPMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 9. 1960 William T. Bloke March 3, 1964 w. T. BLAKE 3,123,225

SLIDING CENTER SILL RAILWAY CAR EQUIPMENT Filed Sept. 9. 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 If V B/ /.5

INVENTOR WilliamT. Blake ATTORNEY United States Patent C) 3,123,225 SlLmlNG CENTER SHJL RAILWAY CAR EQUHPMENT William T. Blake, 4424 Morris Court, Fort Worth, Tex. Filed Sept. 9, 1964?, Ser. No. 55,027 7 Claims. ((111.213-8) This invention relates to a railway car draft assembly and particularly to a railway car draft assembly including a hydraulic buffer mechanism.

The draft assembly disclosed in the present application constitutes an improvement in the sliding center sill draft assembly disclosed and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 810,442, filed May 1, 1959, for Railway Car Draft Assembly.

The shocks and impacts that railway cars receive when freight trains are made up in the yards often result in damage to the car structure and to the car lading. Additionally, severe shocks are imparted to railway cars in a train in motion upon acceleration or deceleration of the engine because of the slack existing in the railway car couplers. The invention disclosed in my beforementioned copending application provides an efiicient railway car draft assembly which includes a hydraulic piston-andcylinder buffer mechanism for absorbing a large part of the shock forces to which a railway car may be subject. The present invention concerns an improvement to the means mounting the buffer mechanism on the railway car underframe structure.

Accordingly, one object of the invention is to provide an improved railway car draft assembly particularly adapted to reduce appreciably the impacts or shocks exerted on railway cars and their contents when such cars are made up into trains and the trains are moved upon tracks.

Another object of the invention is to provide a draft assembly capable of being readily installed in the center sill of a sliding center sill railway car.

Another object of the invention is to provide a railway car draft assembly that can be easily incorporated in freight cars of the sliding center sill type Without requiring extensive modifications of the already existing equipment. 7

A further and important object of the invention is to provide a railway car draft assembly which will cushion the action of the car in coupling operations and in movement of the car in a train whereby the car lading is protected from damage due to severe jolts and shocks.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention as may appear hereinafter are achieved in a railway car draft assembly having a longitudinally extending hollow center sill fixed to the car and a hollow sliding center sill member longitudinally slidably mounted substantially within the fixed center sill and extending substantially to the ends of the car. A car coupler is attached to each end of the sliding center sill and extends beyond each end of the fixed center sill. The fixed and sliding center sill members carry cooperating stop means which permit limited longitudinal movement of the sliding center sill within the fixed center sill. Resilient means are provided which bias the sliding sill member to a neutral position between the limits of movement of the sliding sill member. A double-acting hydraulic buifer mechanism is provided which includes a housing longitudinally disposed within the sliding center sill member. Means in the housing provides a cylinder extending longitudinally of the sliding center sill member. A piston is provided which is longitudinally movable within the cylinder. A piston rod is fixedly connected at one end to the piston and has a free end which projects through one end of the housing. A first carrier member is fixedly attached to the cylinder housing and is in turn rigidly attached to one of ice the sill members by conveniently removable means. A second carrier member extends across a section of the bottom of the other of the sills adjacent the free end of the piston rod. Second conveniently removable means are provided rigidly attaching the second carrier member to the other of the sills. A first coupling element is attached to the free end of the piston rod and a second coupling element is fixedly attached to the second carrier member. The coupiing elements interfit to couple the piston rod to the other of the sills solely through the second carrier member and through the means attaching the carrier member to the other sill. The center sill members have aligned bottom openings through which the buffer mechanism is adapted to be inserted into and removed from the sliding center sill members when the carrier members are detached from their respective silis.

The invention will be described in greater particularity with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a railway car underframe assembly including a draft assembly embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal, vertical, cross-sectional view of the assembly taken along line 22 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the assembly taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2. looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional View of a portion of the assembly taken along the line 2-4 of FIG. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal, vertical, cross-sectional view of a portion of the assembly taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 6 is a horizontal, longitudinal, sectional view of a portion of the assembly taken along line 66 of FIG. 5 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged detail view of a part of the assembly shown in FIG. 2.

In the drawings, like parts are designated by like numerals. Referring to the drawings, particularly to FIGS. 1 to 4, the railway car draft assembly shown has a fixed hollow, longitudinal center sill 9 centrally located and extending the entire length of the car. The fixed center sill includes spaced apart side channel members it) which are fixed to the bed of the car (not shown). The fixed center sill members are connected to the outside longitudinal members 11 by a plurality of transverse cross mem bers 12 and an end member 13 at each end of the car (only one of which is shown). The fixed center sill 9 and side members N are supported upon conventional bolsters near either end of the car, one such bolster being shown at 14. As is usual, the bolsters are supported upon trucks (not shown).

The fixed center sill, except for partial closure by the boisters and certain supporting plates to be described, is open at the bottom and has a hollow interior. Positioned within the hollow of the fixed center sill is a sliding center sill member designated 15. The sliding center sill member, of an inverted U shaped cross-section, has a top plate 16 and a pair of side plates 17. Horizontal flange members 18 project outwardly from the bottoms of the side members. These flanges provide shoes that slidably support the sliding sill member 15 on cross plates such as 19 which are welded to the bottoms of the channel members lltl of the fixed center sill. The sliding center sill member 15 is longitudinally slidable within the hollow of the fixed center sill. The sliding member is preferably slightly longer than the fixed center sill and projects outwardly from the fixed center sill at each end of the car. Standard car couplers 2t and friction draft gear (not shown) are mounted in the ends of the sliding 3 center sill member and are used for coupling the car to adjacent cars.

The longitudinal sliding movement of the sliding center sill member is limited by cooperating stop means car ried by the fixed center sill and the sliding center sill membe'. Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the end of the sliding center sill projects a short distance outwardly from tl e end of the fixed center sill and has attached there to, by welding or other suitable means, a collar member 21. The end of the fixed center sill has a face plate 22 attached thereto, by welding or other suitable means, which is adapted to be struck by the collar member upon rearward movement of the sliding center sill under bull forces to limit the longitudinal movement of the sliding center sill. An iden cal assembly is provided at the op posite (not shown).

A pair of double-acting, compression spring units 23 (only one of which is shown), acting between the fixed center sill and the sliding center sill member, normally urge the sliding center sill member to the neutral position, as shown in FIGS. 1 2. Such spring units are well known in the railway car art but will be briefly described herein with reference to the unit as shown in FTGS. l and 2. A compression spring assembly 24 is disposed within the hollow of the sliding center sill member and is supported at each end by brackets 25 and 26 carried by cross plates 2'? and 223 welded to t; e bottoms of channel members W of the fixed center sill. Thus, the brackets 25 2&5 are fixed with reference to the center sill side channel members and the sliding center sill member 15 is longitudinally moveable with respect to the brackets. The sliding center sill member 15 carries a pair of pick-up brackets 2.9 and that are welded to the underside of the top plate 16 of the sliding member. The pick-up bracket is adapted to engage the left hand end of the spring assembly 2% as t e sliding member 15 moves to the right from the position shown in PEG. 2 and to cornpress the spring against the fixed bracket 26. Conversely, the pick-up bracket 3% is adapted to engage the right hand end of the spring assembly 24 as the sliding member 15 moves to the left from the position shown in FIG. 2 to compress the spring against the fixed bracket 25. The spring unit is thus seen to be double-acting and to yieldi y oppose movement of the sliding center sill member 15 111 either direction from the position shown in FIG. 2. The spring unit also tends to restore the sliding center sill member to the neutral position of PEG. 1 upon displacem of the sliding member in either direction.

Operatively connected between the fixed center sill and the sliding center sill member T5 is a double-acting, hydraulic, piston-and cylinder buffer mechanism 31. As best seen in PPS. 7, the hydraulic mechanism 31 has a housing containing a working cylinder 33 in which a piston is slidably received. The working cylinder is attached to the housing as by means of the web 67 and is thus anchored to the housing. The working cylinder has the usual cylinder heads (not shown). The piston has a piston rod 35 extendin outwardly t. rough the ht hand working cylinder head and through the right hand end wall 36 of the housing. The piston rod is bly sealed in the right hand end wall of the housing a flexible bellows 37 seals the piston rod to the right hand end wall 36 of the housing.

The working cylinder is provided with ports 58 comnicating each end of the working cylinder with chamber 39 between the exterior of the working cylinder and the interior of the housing 32. Theworking cylinder and charlie r are filled with a hydraulic fluid. A volumecompensating element, not shown, may be included in the chamber 3% to compen ate for piston rod displacement and for volume changes due to changes in temperature.

cylinder housing 332 is welded to a first carrier plate 49 which preferably extends the entire length of the underside of the cylinder housing. The first carrier plate extends outwardly from the underside of the cylinder housing to the edge of each of the out-turned flanges of the center sill side channel member if. Parallel lines of bolt holes s-l ar provided near the edges of carrier plate 4%. These holes are aligned with like holes 4-2 provided in the lower flanges of the center sill channel members 10. The first carrier plate ill is removably attached to the fixed center sill channel members it by a plurality of bolts 43 received in the aligned bolt holes in the first carrier plate and the lower flanges of the channel members 19 an secured therein by nuts Cotter pins are used to lock the nuts on the bolts. Spacer plates 46 are provided between the first carrier plate and the lower flanges of the center sill channel members it? to insure clearance between the upper surface of the first carrier plate and the fianges 18 of the sliding center sill 15. This is desirable to minimize wear and loading of the first carrier plate from the movement and weight of the sliding center sill 15.

The assembly for coupling the free end of the piston rod 35 to the sliding sill member 15 is shown in FIGS. 3, 5 and 6, to which ref rence is now made. A second carrier plate 4'7 extends across the bottom of the hollow sliding center sill 15 adjacent the free end of the piston rod 35. The second carrier plate provides parallel rows of bolt holes 2-3 intermediate the longitudinal edges thereof. These holes are aligned with like holes d9 provided in flanges 18 of the sliding center sill. A plurality of bolts 43 received in the ali ned openings in the fianges l3 and the second carrier plate 47 and retained therein by nuts td are used to removably attach the second carrier plate to the sliding center sill. Cotter pins 45 are used to lock the nuts on the bolts. A pocket structure, designated generally as numeral 59, is fixedly attached to the upper surface of the second carrier plate 47 and extends upwardly into the hollow space of the sliding center sill l5. The pocket structure includes a pair of vertically exending, parallel, spaced apart sidereinforcing members 551 welded to the upper surface of the second carrier plate 47. The side reinforcing members 51 are parallel and adjacent to the side plates 1'7 of the sliding center sill 15. A forward end wall 52 extends transversely between the side reinforcing members and is fixedly attached thereto and to the upper surface of the second carrier plate by welding. The forward end wall provides a vertically extending slot 53 open at the top to loosely receive the piston rod 35. A solid rear end wall 54 extends transversely between the side reinforcing members and is fixedly attached thereto and to the upper surface of the second carrier plate by welding. The rear end wall 54 is additionally strengthened by a center reinforcing member 55 welded to the back thereof and to the upper surface of the second carrier plate.

Bolts and nuts are the preferred means for attaching the carrier plates to the sills, but it is to be understood that other attaching means such as rivets or welding are contemplated.

The anchor structure 56 for securing the free end of the piston rod 35 to the sliding center sill 15 is slidably received within the pocket structure. The piston rod 35 has a circumferential groove 57 formed therein near the free end. anchor knob 58 is secured to the free end of the piston rod, the knob being formed of an upper, generally hemispherical part 59 and a lower, generally hemispherical part till. These parts have flanges fitting into the groove 5'7 on the piston rod and are held in place on the piston rod by a ring member 61 surrounding the parts The front and rear surfaces of the knob 58 are spherical, as indicated in FIG. 5. A buff plate 62 has a forwardly facing, spherical concavity 63, corresponding in curvature to the rear face f the knob, which receives the rear face of the knob. The rear face of the buff plate abuts the rear end wall 54 of the pocket structure. In contact with the forward face of the knob is a draft plate sa having a spherical concavity 65' formed in its rear face and conforming to the forward face of the knob. The draft plate has a central opening 66 through which the piston rod 35 passes freely. The anchor structure 56 is assembled on the free end of the piston and the open top pocket structure 59 is then slipped over the anchor structure. The second carrier plate 47 is then bolted to the sliding center sill to couple the free end of piston rod 35 to the sliding center sill for longitudinal movement with the sliding center sill.

The anchor structure 56 imposes no radial forces on knob 58 and permits the piston rod 35 to center itself longitudinally in the center sill. To this end, the bulf and draft plates, 62 and 641 respectively, are free to move transversely of the center sill by sliding between the forward end wall 52 and the rear end wall 54. Also, the buff and draft plates can pivot universally to a limited degree on anchor knob 58. Thus, sufficient unrestricted lateral movement of the piston rod is afforded to allow the piston rod to seek its own center without being subjected to undesirable transverse forces.

As the sliding center sill member 15 moves to the right from the neutral position illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 7, the piston 34 moves to the right within the relatively fixed cylinder 33. Hydraulic liquid is forced out of the ports 38 in the right hand end of the cylinder and flows through the surrounding chamber 39 to return to the left hand end of the cylinder through the openings in that end of the cylinder. Energy is thus absorbed in the hydraulic mechanism.

Upon movement of the sliding center sill member to the left, a similar energy-absorbing action occurs. Hydraulic fluid is forced from the left hand end of the working cylinder through the ports and through chamber 39 to the right hand end of the working cylinder through the openings in that end of the cylinder.

The energy absorption of the hydraulic mechanism occurs principally through throttling of the hydraulic liquid by the ports and passages within the cylinder. It is a characteristic of a hydraulic unit of the type described that the absorbed energy is dissipated as heat and that no rebound of the housing occurs. Such energy absorption is to be contrasted with the absorption of energy by means of a spring device or the like which tends to return a large fraction of the absorbed energy in rebound.

The foregoing description of the hydraulic buffer mechanism 31 is believed to be sufiicient to acquaint those skilled in the art with the principles of operation of such mechanisms. However, a further and more detailed description of the construction and operation of double-acting, hydraulic mechanisms suitable for employment in the apparatus of FIGS. 1 to 7 is given in my United States Letters Patent Nos. 2,944,639, issued July 12, 1960 for Shock Absorber With Vacuum Compensator and 2,944,681, issued July 12, 1969 for Railway Draft Appliance.

Still other double-acting, hydraulic buffer mechanisms such as those disclosed in French Patent 1,057,048, delivered October 28, 1953 to Turmaud, may be adapted to the purpose of the present invention.

When the sliding center sill member 15 is in the neutral position, the piston 34 is located at the center of the working cylinder 33. The working cylinder 33 is of sufficient length so that the cylinder heads do not hit the piston when the piston is moved to the extreme left or right hand positions. The length of the cylinder, therefore, is slightly greater than the maximum stroke of the sliding center sill member plus the axial thickness of the piston, thereby to allow clearance between the piston and the cylinder heads at the extreme limits of movement of the piston.

When a railway freight car equipped with the draft assembly of FIGS. 1 to 7 is being coupled to another car, the energy of impact is absorbed in part in the conventional friction draft gear of the stationary car and the moving car. If it is the moving car that is equipped with the foregoing draft assembly, a further portion of the energy of the moving car is absorbed in the spring units 23 as the fixed center sill and the connected parts move over the sliding center sill member toward the stationary car after contact has been made between the couplers. A still further portion of the energy of the moving car is absorbed in the hydraulic buffer mechanism 31 upon movement of the Working cylinder 33 with respect to the piston 34. The springs of the spring units 23 tend to restore the fixed center sill to its neutral position with respect to the sliding center sill member after initial coupling displacement. However, such restoring action is effectively bufiered by the double-acting, hydraulic mechanism 31 and a slow and easy return of the parts to neutral position is effected. The entire coupling action is smooth and free from violent rebound and oscillation and the car lading is protected from damage.

When a car equipped with the foregoing draft assembly is incorporated in a train of cars and the train is in motion, the fixed center sill and the parts rigidly connected thereto are effectively protected from damage due to sudden longitudinal forces. If the brakes are suddenly applied on the train, the cars tend to bunch up in the forward direction. The forward movement of the fixed center sill with relation to the sliding center sill member is effectively cushioned by the spring units 23 and the hydraulic buffer mechanism 31 and any rebound movement occasioned by energy stored in the spring units is also cushioned by the hydraulic buffer mechanism. Thus, damaging jars and oscillatory movements of the fixed center sill and associated car parts are minimized.

Similarly, on starting the train, the spring units and hydraulic bufifer mechanism smooth out the sudden pull on the leading coupler and, consequently, protect the car and its contents.

The improvement provided by the draft assembly of the present invention provides a very economical and eflicient means of connecting the hydraulic buffer mechanism to the fixed and sliding center sills of a railway car. The hydraulic buffer mechanism assembly disclosed herein is particularly adapted for installation in existing railway cars utilizing a fixed and sliding center sill arrangement because no extensive modification of the car underframe is required. The complete hydraulic assembly may be fabricated in the shop and then lifted into place between the car sills and attached thereto by bolts. Utilization of bolts, or other conveniently removable means such as rivets, for attaching the hydraulic assembly to the center sills also permits quick installation and replacement of the assembly. In a replacement operation, a spare unit may be inserted and the car returned to service in a matter of a few hours.

A further advantage is provided in the draft assembly of the present invention in that the draft and buff forces exerted on the fixed and sliding center sills at the connecting points of the hydraulic assembly are distributed over a much wider area of the sills than when using previous connecting means, By attaching the hydraulic assembly to the fixed and sliding center sills at a plurality of points, the possibility of damage to the sills at the connecting points from repeated draft and buff forces is minimized.

I claim:

1. In a railway car: a longitudinally extending hollow center sill fixed to the car; a hollow sliding center sill member longitudinally slidably mounted within said fixed center sill and extending substantially to the ends of the car; a coupler attached to each end of said sliding center sill member and extending forward of each end of said fixed center sill; cooperating stop means carried by said fixed center sill and by said sliding sill member permitting limited longitudinal movement of said sliding sill member within said fixed center sill; resilient means biasing said sliding sill member to a neutral position between the limits of movement of said member; a double-acting hydraulic buffer mechanism including a housing longitudinally disposed within said sliding center sill member, means in said housing providing a cylinder extending longitudinally of said sliding center sill member, a piston longitudinally movable within said cylinder, and a piston rod fixedly connected at end to said piston and having a free end projecting through one end of said housing; a first carrier member; means fixedly attaching said first carrier member to said housing; first conveniently removable means rigidly attaching said first carrier member to one of said sills; a second carrier member extending across a section of the bottom of the other of said sills adjacent the free end of said piston rod; second conveniently removable means rigidly attaching said second carrier member to the other of said sills; a first coupling element attached to the free end of said piston rod; a second coupling element fixedly attached to said second carrier member, said coupling elements interfitting to couple said piston rod to the other of said sills solely through said second carrier member and through said means attaching said carrier member to said other sill; and said center sill members having aligned bottom openings through which said buffer mechanism is adapted to be inserted into and removed from said sliding center sill members when said carrier members are detached from their respective sills.

2. In a railway car: a longitudinally extending hollow center sill fixed to the car; a hollow sliding center sill member longitudinally slidably mounted within said fixed center sill and extending substantially to the ends of the car; a coupler attached to each end of said sliding center sill member and extending forward of each end of said fixed center sill; cooperating stop means carried by said fixed center sill and by said sliding sill member permitting limited longitudinal movement of said sliding sill member within said fixed center sill; resilient means biasing said sliding sill member to a neutral position between the limits of movement of said member; a double-acting hydraulic butler mechanism including a housing longitudinally disposed within said sliding center sill member, means in said housing providing a cylinder extending longitudinally of said sliding center sill member, a piston longitudinally movable within said cylinder, and a piston rod fixedly connected at one end to said piston and having a free end projecting through one end of said housing; a first carrier member supporting said housing Within said sliding center sill member; means fixedly attaching said first carrier member to said housing; first conveniently removable means rigidly attaching said first carrier member to said fixed center sill; a second carrier member extending across a section of the bottom of said sliding center sill adjacent the free end of s id piston rod; second conveniently removable means rigidly attaching said second carrier member to said sliding center sill member; an anchor structure rigidly attached to the free end of said piston rod; an open top, rectangular, pocket structure fixedly attached to the upper surface of said second carrier member receiving said anchor structure in a close sliding fit, said anchor structure and said pocket structure coupling said piston rod to said sliding center sill solely through said second carrier member and through said means attaching said carrier member to said sliding center sill; and said center sill members having aligned bottom openings through which said butler mechanism is adapted to be inserted into and removed from said sliding center sill members when said carrier members are detached from their respective sills.

3. In a railway car: a longitudinally extending hollow center sill fixed to the car; a hollow sliding center sill member longitudinally slidably mounted within said fixed center sill and extending substantiallyto the ends of the car; a coupler attached to each end of said sliding center sill member and extending forward of each end of said fixed center sill; cooperating stop means carried by said fixed center sill and by said sliding sill member permitting limited longitudinal movement of said sliding sill member within said fixed center sill; resilient means biasing said sliding sill member to a neutral position between the lim- 8 its of movement of said member; a double-acting hydraulicbufier mechanism including a housing longitudinally disposed within said sliding center sil member, means in said housing providing a cylinder extending longitudinally of said sliding center sill member, a piston longitudinally movable within said cylinder, and a piston rod fixedly connected at one end to said piston and having a free end projecting through one end of said housing; a first carrier member supporting said housing within said sliding center sill member, said first carrier member extending laterally outward from the underside or" said housing across a section of the bottom of said fixed center sill; means fixedly attaching said first carrier member to said housing; first conveniently removable means rigidly attaching said first carirer member to said fixed center sill; a second carrier member extending across a section of the bottom of said sliding center sill member adjacent the free end of said piston rod; second conveniently removable means rigidly attaching said second carrier member to said sliding center sill member; a reinforced, generally rectangular, open-top pocket structure receiving the free end of said piston rod through a vertical, open-top slot provided in the front wall thereof; a piston rod end anchor assembly rigidly attached to the free end of said piston rod, said anchor assembly slidably received within said pocket structure coupling the free end of said piston rod to said pocket structure; means fixedly attaching said pocket structure to said second carrier member, thereby coupling said piston rod to said sliding center sill solely through said second carrier member and through said means attaching said second carrier member to said sliding center sill; and said center sill members having aligned bottom openings through which said butler mechanism is adapted to be inserted into and removed from said sliding center sill members when said carrier members are detached from their respective sills.

4. In a railway car: a longitudinally extending hollow center sill fixed to the car; a hollow sliding center sill member longitudinally slidably mounted within said fixed center sill and extending substantially to the ends of the car; a coupler attached to each end of said sliding center sill member and extending forward of each end of said fixed center sill; cooperating stop means carried by said fixed center sill and by said sliding sill member permitting limited longitudinal movement of said sliding sill member Within said fixed center sill; resilient means biasing said sliding sill member to a neutral position between the lim its of movement of said member; a double-acting hydraulic buffer mechanism including a housing longitudinally disposed within said sliding center sill member, means in said housing providing a cylinder extending longitudinally of said sliding center sill member, a piston longitudinally movable within said cylinder, and a piston rod fixedly connected at one end to said piston and having a free end projecting through one end of said housing; a first carrier member supporting said housing within said sliding center sill member, said first carrier member extending laterally outwardly from the underside of said housing across a section of the bottom of said fixed center sill; means fixedly attaching said first carrier member to said housing; first conveniently removable means rigidly attaching said first carrier member to said fixed center sill; a second carrier member extending across a section of the bottom of said sliding center sill member adjacent the free end of said piston rod; second convenieitly removable means rigidly attaching said second carrier member to said sliding center sill member; a pocket structure receiing the free end of said piston rod, said structure including a vertical front Wall having an upwardly opening slot receiving said piston rod, a vertical rear wall, a pair of vertical side walls fixedly attached one to each side of the front and rear walls, all of said Walls being fixedly =ttacned to the upper surface of said second carrier memer to form a rigid structure extending freely up into the hollow of the sliding center sill; means carried by and extending transversely from the free end of said piston rod and abutting the front and rear interior walls of said pocket structure to couple said piston rod to said pocket structure, said pocket structure being separable from said piston rod coupling means by downward movement of said pocket structure and said fixedly attached second carrier member away from said piston rod coupling means; and said center sill members having aligned bottom openings through which said buffer mechanism is adapted to be inserted into and removed from said sliding center sill members when said carrier members are detached from their respective sills.

5. In a railway car as defined in claim 4 wherein said first conveniently removable means rigidly attaching said first carrier member to said fixed center sill and said second conveniently removable means rigidly attaching said second carrier member to said sliding center sill member comprise bolts and nuts.

6. In a railway car as defined in claim 4 wherein said first conveniently removable means rigidly attaching said first carrier member to said fixed center sill and said second conveniently removable means rigidly attaching said second carrier member to said sliding center sill member comprise rivets.

7. In a railway car: a longitudinally extending hollow center sill fixed to the car including a pair of spaced apart side channel members having outwardly extending flanges on the lower ends thereof; a hollow sliding center sill member longitudinally slidably mounted within said fixed center sill and extending substantially to the ends of the car, said sliding center sill member including a pair of spaced apart side plates having horizontal flanges projecting outwardly from the lower ends thereof; a coupler attached to each end of said sliding center sill member and extending forward of each end of said fixed center sill; cooperating stop means carried by' said fixed center sill and by said sliding sill member permitting limited longitudinal movement of said sliding sill member within said fixed center sill; resilient means biasing said sliding sill member to a neutral position between the limits of movement of said member; a double-acting hydraulic buffer mechanism including a housing longitudinally disposed within said sliding center sill member, means in said housing providing a cylinder extending longitudinall of said sliding center sill member, a piston longitudinally movable within said cylinder, and a piston rod fixedly connected at one end to said piston and having a free end projecting through one end of said housing; a first carrier member supporting said housing within said sliding center sill member, said first carrier member extending across the bottom of a section of said fixed center sill substantially to the outer edges of the lower flanges on said fixed center sill; means fixedly attaching said first carrier member to said housing; said first carrier member providing a plurality of longitudinally aligned openings therein registering with like openings provided in each of the lower flanges of said fixed center sill; bolts retained by nuts extending through the aligned openings in said first carrier member and the flanges of said fixed center sill rigidly attaching said first carrier member to said fixed center sill; a second carrier member extending across the bottom of said sliding center sill member substantially to the outer edges of the flanges on said sliding center sill adjacent the free end of said piston rod, said second carrier member providing a plurality of longitudinally aligned openings therein registering with like openings provided in each of the flanges of said sliding center sill member; bolts retained by nuts extending through the aligned openings in said second carrier member and the flanges of said sliding center sill rigidly attaching said second carrier member to said sliding center sill member; a generally rectangular, open-top pocket structure including spaced apart front and rear walls and sidewalls fixedly attached thereto, said sidewalls extending forward and rearward of the front and rear walls to provide reinforcement therefor, said pocket structure fixedly attached to the upper surface of said second carrier member and extending upward freely into the hollow of said sliding center sill member from the top surface of said second carrier member, said pocketstructure receiving the free end of said piston rod through a vertical, open-top slot provided in the front wall thereof; and an anchor structure carried by and extending transversely from the free end of said piston rod and abutting the front and rear interior walls of said pocket structure to couple said piston rod to said pocket structure, the opentop and slotted front wall of said pocket structure adapting said pocket structure to be easily separated from and attached to said piston rod anchor structure by downward movement of said pocket structure and attached second carrier member with reference to said piston rod anchor structure; and said center sill members having aligned bottom openings through which said buffer mechanism is adapted to be inserted into and removed from said sliding center sill members when said carrier members are detached from their respective sills.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,039,269 Barrows Apr. 28, 1936 2,220,101 Hall Nov. 5, 1940 2,944,639 Blake July 12, 1960 2,944,681 

1. IN A RAILWAY CAR: A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING HOLLOW CENTER SILL FIXED TO THE CAR; A HOLLOW SLIDING CENTER SILL MEMBER LONGITUDINALLY SLIDABLY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID FIXED CENTER SILL AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY TO THE ENDS OF THE CAR; A COUPLER ATTACHED TO EACH END OF SAID SLIDING CENTER SILL MEMBER AND EXTENDING FORWARD OF EACH END OF SAID FIXED CENTER SILL; COOPERATING STOP MEANS CARRIED BY SAID FIXED CENTER SILL AND BY SAID SLIDING SILL MEMBER PERMITTING LIMITED LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF SAID SLIDING SILL MEMBER WITHIN SAID FIXED CENTER SILL; RESILIENT MEANS BIASING SAID SLIDING SILL MEMBER TO A NEUTRAL POSITION BETWEEN THE LIMITS OF MOVEMENT OF SAID MEMBER; A DOUBLE-ACTING HYDRAULIC BUFFER MECHANISM INCLUDING A HOUSING LONGITUDINALLY DISPOSED WITHIN SAID SLIDING CENTER SILL MEMBER, MEANS IN SAID HOUSING PROVIDING A CYLINDER EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID SLIDING CENTER SILL MEMBER, A PISTON LONGITUDINALLY MOVABLE WITHIN SAID CYLINDER, AND A PISTON ROD FIXEDLY CONNECTED AT ONE END TO SAID PISTON AND HAVING A FREE END PROJECTING THROUGH ONE END OF SAID HOUSING; A FIRST CARRIER MEMBER; MEANS FIXEDLY ATTACHING SAID FIRST CARRIER MEMBER TO SAID HOUSING; FIRST CONVENIENTLY REMOVABLE MEANS RIGIDLY ATTACHING SAID FIRST CARRIER MEMBER TO 